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Running head: CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

Career Development and Planning


Ashley Daniels
LDR610
Siena Heights University

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

Career Development and Planning


We make decisions all day, every day. Some decisions that we are faced with do not
require much thought. What should I wear today? What do I want to drink? Should I clean up
this mess? Then, there are some decision that require gathering a lot of information, analyzing
the data, and executing a plan. Decision making is very important because one test of our
effectiveness in living, is the quality of the way in which we make personal decisions (Reardon,
Lenz, Peterson, & Sampson, 2012). To make good decisions, it is vital to have good selfknowledge. Knowing yourself allows you to look within and use your own morals, values, past
experiences, and prior knowledge to effectively make a decision. Other people know and
evaluate us by the way we make important decisions (Reardon et al., 2012). As current or future
leaders, making decisions will be one of the most important skills that we can possess. If
organizational leaders of today are required to make internal organizational decisions that
support those they lead, then they must understand the dynamics of their decision-making
processes and acknowledge their personal responsibility for the outcomes of these decisions
(Eberlin & Tatum, 2008).
With such emphasis on the importance of good decision-making, there are tools like the
CASVE cycle that can be used to ensure you are taking the proper steps to make a good decision.
The CASVE cycle guides you through career problem-solving and decision-making processes.
The CASVE cycle is made up of five different phases. Reardon et al. (2012), explains that the
five phases include Communication, Analysis, Synthesis, Valuing, and Execution.
Choosing a career is one of the biggest decisions that we make as humans. We spend the
majority of our lives working. We have spent much time in this class identifying what is of value
to us in a career. The top eight current career values, also known as SIGI Career Values, like

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

money, prestige, and top leadership used to be at the top of the list of what people wanted in a
career (Reardon et al., 2012). Our generation is now more focused on our contribution to society,
leisure, and security in a job. Personally, it is more important to me to know that I am making a
difference in peoples lives, than it is for me to make a ton of money. The U.S. Labor of Bureau
Statistics reported in January of 2014, that people stay in a job an average of four and a half
years. There were 143,894,000 jobs in the US in May 2016 according to the CES survey of
employers. Those two numbers make for a lot of decisions and options when it comes to
choosing a career. There are global transformations that affect when, where, how, and why we
work. All of these changes have made career planning much more challenging. Even with all of
the changes and new complexities, it is possible to learn how to formulate and execute an
effective career plan (Reardon et al., 2012). This paper will explain my personal career decisionmaking process using the CASVE cycle.
Communication
Helping people is my niche. It is what I love to do and my true passion comes out when I
am in that element. From the time I was a little girl, not even realizing it, I was always helping
others. The nickname Mother Ashley was given to me at a young age because I could not help
but to take care of and worry about everyone around me. Growing up, I wanted to be a teacher or
a nurse. Both would allow me to carry out my love of assisting others. Knowing that blood and
needles were a major fear of mine, teaching became prominent in my choice of careers. In high
school, I become thoroughly interested in nutrition and that is when I chose to get my undergrad
in Health Sciences. I was able to obtain a degree that encompassed all things that I love:
coaching, nutrition, education, and of course helping people. After graduation and getting some
experience in the workforce, I began working for a Nutritional Counseling company. This

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

company was brand new, but it turned out to be great learning experience. As an independent
contractor, I was able to run the majority of my counseling sessions the way I wanted to. The
problem lied in the fact that there was no consistency in the business. Without consistent income
and work, I knew I needed to make a change. It is hard to be successful when the business and
clients are becoming obsolete. Not sure where I was going to go from here, I picked up a few
small jobs that randomly led me to my career as an Academic Advisor in Higher Education.
When this class first began, I had no idea what exactly my dream job was. Honestly, I am
not sure I ever let myself really sit down and think through it. Making career changes is difficult
and it was easier to just stay where I was. After about a year and a half, I found myself becoming
lazy and disinterested in my position. This class could not have come at a better time. I was
losing sight of what I love to do and who I am as an employee. As we have discussed in class,
decisions are hard for me to make. My hope was that this class would ignite a spark in me and
help me to channel that motivation to figuring out exactly what it is that I should be doing in a
career. My second hope for the class was that I would learn to become a better decision maker.
Analysis
When I completed the Open Options assignment, I chose to do the Big 5 Test and Are
You in the Right Career? test. These tests confirmed that I really did have a hard time making
decisions. I found myself being stuck in this analysis phase of the CASVE cycle. The tests were
inconclusive when I got the results back. Both tests put me in the middle of the road. My Big 5
Test showed the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Openness to experience - You are somewhat conventional.


Conscientiousness - You are neither organized or disorganized.
Extraversion - You are relatively social and enjoy the company of others.
Agreeableness - You are neither extremely forgiving nor irritable.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

5. Neuroticism - You tend to become anxious or nervous.


These results only proved to me that I was thinking too much about my answers and not
answering from my gut or heart. I was able to determine from the tests that being social, working
with people, and that a balance between work and life all suite me well. I felt confident in these
results, as all three parts are very important to me. I know that if I am in a career that involves
coaching, motivating, or inspiring people I will be thriving. A position that is constantly
changing and challenging is most attractive to me. I tend to get board when I am settling. As a
health coach, I was challenged each day. As new clients would come in, I would have to work
with them to analyze their goals and health concerns then formulate a plan on how they were
going to reach those goals. This fascinated me because everyone was different and each case
brought on a new problem to solve.
The RIASEC Hexagon was also helpful for me to visualize what category or environment
that will allow me to exercise my skills and abilities. Dr. John Holland explained that people seek
out environments where their personality characteristics will be respected, valued, rewarded, and
used (Reardon et al., 2012). I believe I fall equally into the Social and Enterprising categories of
his hexagon model. These two categories summarize my interest in social relationships, helping
others, dealing with people rather than things, leadership, speaking abilities, and being
influential.
Synthesis
My position as an Academic Advisor has allowed me to utilize all of my skillset that fell
under the Social and Enterprising categories. The biggest factor that I found was missing was the
challenge in the position and the repetition of daily activities. When Siena Heights University
started discussing the reorganization that was to occur, there was mention of positions that were

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

going to be created. This news excited me. I loved the idea of being able to expand upon how I
was already working with my students. Once the positions were announced, I started to do my
research to figure out if my personality fit into any of the openings. The Student Success
Coordinator position was written as if the job was created personally for me. I found alignment
in the fact that this was a newly created position that would require much creativity, challenge,
open mindedness, building relationships, and working with high-touch students. My research
began working to discover what other schools had in terms of Student Success. Using my
resources and network of people that I have created, I was even able to conduct a few
informative interviews. These interviews helped me gain the knowledge needed to reduce the
gap that had formed between who I am and what I love to do.
Valuing
While weighing out the pros and cons of making the switch to the Student Success
Coordinators position, I found that my values aligned better with this new position. Values are
qualities considered to be the most important guiding principles that help set priorities in your
career and life (hr.berkeley.edu). Helping people in general is purposeful and meaningful to me.
The Student Success position would allow me to help students in a larger capacity than I was
doing as an Academic Advisor. As stated earlier, it is essential to me to make a difference in
others lives. Working with these high-touch students and helping to create an environment that
students can thrive in is so valuable to the University and to myself.
Money is not the lot for me. Getting into a position for the money, instead of the value,
would not be suitable for me. It did have an influence while making this decision. I was told that
this transition would not result in a pay raise. This new role would require me to do both the
Academic Advising job and Student Success job since I already had a caseload of students that

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

would need advising until they graduate. I concluded that I would make the transition knowing
two things: I would not be doing both jobs forever and that the university will be conducting a
compensation study at the beginning of 2017. Education, in my opinion, is an extremely
underpaid occupation. Already knowing that downfall of education, I had a full understanding of
what I was signing up for in a career.
Execution
Taking on this new position has been a slow transition. In the world of academia, I have
learned that no change happens quickly. I started the first step of my transition by researching
what the Student Success job would entail. Once I knew that my skills and values aligned, I
confirmed that I was going to apply for the position. Putting my name in the hat for this position
was a bit intimidating. There were multiple colleagues of mine applying for this same position
that had been at Siena for much longer than I had. I felt that I was at a disadvantage, but I was
also confident in myself that I possessed the competencies to excel in student success. Receiving
notice to set up an interview for the position solidified those feelings. Preparing for the interview
was paramount. I connected with other parts of the university such as the Student Support
Services director on our main campus. Getting a leg up as to what was already happening on
campus, would put me in a position to bring about new ideas that would benefit the students as a
whole. As stated earlier, I did a lot of research to see what other schools were excelling at in
terms of student success. Being able to communicate the needs that I saw were missing for
student success helped the hiring committee to also see my vision for this position. Everyone
involved in the change process must be working at the proper level and be in alignment for the
new role to be successful (Kohnen, J., 2010). The interview went wonderfully, as speaking is not
something that I have a hard time doing. Being in this Masters program has certainly helped to

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

continue to improve those communication skills. A few weeks after the interview, the position
was offered to me. I was again made aware that this change would be a long transition process.
My energy and excitement about this new project gave me the competitive advantage that I
needed to take on this new challenge.
Communication Recycled
The CASVE cycle is a continuous cycle that repeats itself in order to determine whether
the chosen career was a good one (Reardon et al., 2012). I believe this change has helped me to
bridge the gap between me feeling settled as an Academic Advisor and the needing more out of
my job. My negative attitude has been rekindled by positive and uplifting emotions. The
motivation and excitement shows daily while working on new projects geared towards helping
students to be successful. While, I do not believe this to be an end all, be all position, I believe it
will bring on new experiences and give me an opportunity to develop my own programs. It is
now up to me to make the most of this new position and prove to myself that without direction, I
can use my creative skills to help students. My goal is that by next year at this time, I have a
successful orientation program running for both online and on-ground students. The missing
orientation has been identified as the biggest need in helping students to be successful throughout
the program. Implementing this program would suggest that students, administration, and faculty
all bought into this change. Subsequently, I would have a sense of success in my first big project.
Conclusion
Occupations and information about occupations are always changing (Reardon et at.,
2012). There will always be decisions to be made in terms of career. It is imperative to use tools
such as the CASVE cycle when making career choices. Self-knowledge will be the cornerstone

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

of career planning (Reardon et al., 2012). If you know yourself, you can avoid wasting time and
energy trying to decide on what occupation may be important or not. This is where my biggest
downfall lies. I know what my values and skills are, but acting upon them and being confident in
them get me lost in the Analyzing stage of the CASVE cycle. Research suggests that problems in
any one phase can shut down or derail the entire problem-solving process (Reardon et al., 2012).
Being at the end of my Masters program will also help to open new doors for me. As
much as I have learned about leadership in my program, I have gained even more knowledge
about myself and who I want to be as a leader. I am setting the foundation as to who I am and
who I want to be in my career. It is important for me to continue learning and gaining experience
through professional development. It is a personal responsibility of professionals to keep their
knowledge and skills current so that they can deliver the high quality of service that any
organization strives for (Kloosterman, V., 2014).

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

References
Berkley Human Resources. (2016). Self-Assessment: Career Values. Retrieved from:
http://hr.berkeley.edu/development/career-development/self-assessment/values
Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor. (2014). Employee Tenure in 2014. [Press
Release]. Retrieved from:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/tenure_09182014.pdf
Department of Numbers. (2016). US Employment and Jobs. Retrieved from:
http://www.deptofnumbers.com/employment/us/
Eberlin, R. J., & Tatum, B. C. (2008). Making just decisions: Organizational justice, decision
making, and leadership. Management Decision, 46(2), 310-329.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00251740810854177
Kloosterman, V. (2014). The Importance of Continuing Professional Development. Retrieved
from: http://continuingprofessionaldevelopment.org/why-is-cpd-important/
Kohnen, J. (2010). Executing strategy: From boardroom to frontline. The Quality Management
Journal, 17(2), 68. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/213610247?
accountid=28644
Reardon, R., Lenz, J., Peterson, G., & Sampson, J. (2012). Career Development &
Planning. Dubuque, IA.: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

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